Nominees for Commodore must have previously served at least two years as Officer or a committee chair.
It is my honor to be nominated for Commodore.
For the last forty-four of her 53 years, SMSA and I have grown up together. My family joined in 1981 when I was in high school. After graduating from Saint Mary’s College with an Economics degree, I served as Treasurer from 1989-1991, 1996-1997, and most recently 2020-2021. During my first terms Yachting Race Week (Screwpile) began, we became a land-based organization, obtained Not-For-Profit status, and adopted By-Laws for club governance. In 1993 I bought Diablo and am the current SMSA high point champion.
I have enjoyed both racing and cruising up and down the east coast on a variety of boats. My family has been involved in SMSA’s summer camp programs; from the time my children were campers through their volunteer and paid positions including Camp Director. I assisted Sailing Center Chesapeake’s (SCC) high school sailing teams as a coach and initiated their annual Gala and other fundraising/organizational events.
SMSA’s founding documents and our corporate charter direct us to be a social club that promotes education, charity, and premiere sailing as a leader in our sport. Purchasing the club’s property secured our home and a future. As Commodore, I aim to revitalize some of our club activities, improve our facility atmosphere and our community presence, to ensure that SMSA remains a valuable social asset on shore and on the water.
I have known that sailing would be an important part of my life ever since surviving my
first full knockdown on a USNA Luders 44 yawl during a fall thunderstorm in 1979.
I have been an active member of SMSA for the past four years (since my retirement
from Government Service), however I have participated in SMSA racing events on and
off throughout my 30 years in Southern Maryland.
I have volunteered in numerous club activities since I became a member and have
decided it was time to step up to help guide the future of our club. I am running for the
Vice Commodore position since it most closely aligns with my current activities.
Keelboat wise, I am currently crewing with Elliot Peterson on Stingray, served as Mark
Boat RC support for several Screwpile regattas, and have been asked to PRO next
year’s Patuxent Pursuit Windward/Leeward course. I am too big to sail Small Boats, so
I have taken over managing the RC for most Small Boat events and acting as Scorer. I
support the Adult Learn to Sail program as the primary Shore Session instructor and as
an on-the-water instructor. I have been an assistant coach for the High School team for
the past two years. I also support the Junior Program as the club’s Safety Boat
Captain, keeping up our fleet of skiffs and RHIBs. The only program under the Vice
Commodore’s purview that I am not currently active in is Cruising. To be honest that is
mostly because I can’t sit and enjoy it without having to constantly tweak sail trim. But
there is always hope.
My goals in this position echo those I have heard from fellow members. I would like to
see us focus on membership, revitalization of some club activities, provide opportunities
for increased new member and community presence with a focus on increased training,
youth small boat racing, and woman-focused racing.
I’m writing to formally submit my candidacy for Rear Commodore of the Southern Maryland Sailing Association. As someone who is often present at the club and actively participating in its programs and operations, I’m excited about the opportunity to support SMSA’s mission by enhancing our off-the-water experience — from facilities and social events to member engagement and retention.
Over the past year, I’ve actively contributed to several areas of club life, including:
Supporting the High School Sailing Program
Assisting with Adult Learn to Sail Program
Providing input on Facilities improvements
Offering Technology support
Participating in Keelboat racing with the crew of T-Bone
These experiences have deepened my appreciation for SMSA’s community and the dedication of its members.
If elected, I will focus on:
Maintaining our clubhouse and grounds to high standards of usability
Build community with social programming to strengthen member connections
Collaborating with the Membership Chair to grow and welcome new members
Launching initiatives to energize participation, including themed events and social opportunities
Thank you for considering my candidacy. I welcome any questions and look forward to the opportunity to serve SMSA in this role.
I would love the opportunity to be your next SMSA Treasurer. SMSA is a central part of my life and I am dedicated to providing the best service to you as possible. Being obsessed with detail and numbers - the Treasurer role is something that I’m well suited for. We’ve been SMSA members for more than 20 years and working to ensure the success of the club is something I am very passionate about. I’ve previously served as Treasurer for 6 of the past 10 years, manage our family rental business and have been working for the last 25 years as an engineer in addition to the other various SMSA chair and volunteer positions. In that time, I’ve never missed a filing deadline or failed to have any of my books ready for inspection in short notice. I take pride in being open and collaborative. In short, I know my way around Quickbooks, spreadsheets and managing this business. I’m a listener, a problem solver and a team player with the interests of SMSA members first. As your next Treasurer, your trust in me will not be misplaced. I can provide you with the technical expertise and forward vision needed to take this club into the next adventure.
My name is Nicole Foveaux. My husband, Brian, and I joined SMSA a little over a year ago as we began thinking about entering the phase of life with our two children in college. We have been sailing small boats most of this past year and recently started sailing our 35.5 Hunter Legend. Last October I took over as editor of the SMSA Yearbook for the 2025 season. That was a great adventure and helped to meet many people in the club!
2 candidates from those listed below will be elected.
My name is Steven Birchfield. I've chaired the Small boat race program the past four years with SMSA and this past year I volunteered to chair SMSA's newest premier regatta The Patuxent Pursuit. I have also assisted with the highschool sailing program providing mentorship to the youth sailors on the PAX sailing team, and assisted with the adult learn to sail program in past years as an "on the water instructor." Over the past 8 years I have strived to share my love of sailing with friends and new sailors often leading them to becoming boat owners and racers themselves. During SMSA events, you can often find me volunteering to cook, grill, serve drinks at the club bar and help all those around him. I am deeply passionate about sailing and the club, and often take photos of our members in their own element sailing around Solomons or during special events at our club to share with members on social media. Prior to volunteering with SMSA, I served as the committee chair of a local cub scout troop for 4 years, where I conducted meetings, planned events, and helped budget for the program. I am currently employed with the Maryland Environmental Service where I work as the Senior Operations Manager for one of the largest composting operations on the eastern seaboard; managing a $3 million budget with 20 employees; recycling organic waste into nutrient rich compost. I am excited to bring my leadership, experience and love of our sport and club to the table as one of your new directors.
My name is Polly Traynham, I joined SMSA in 2014. I am pleased to have been nominated as a director. Most of you know me from Friday nights, plus assisting as scorekeeper on RC for the last 9 years and volunteering for many activities at the club. What you might not know, is that for most of my life I was an active sailor and that I am an avid businesswoman, and owner of Hair It Is Salon and Spa. I am passionate about our club and its future so much that I invested in the purchase of our clubhouse, and I regularly monitor BOD meetings. I look forward to assisting with long-term planning and am excited to bring my business skills to the table; plus use my connections and social skills to help the membership grow and ensure we all have a voice in SMSA’s future.